Strolling Through the Park
by outawork
Summary: Nick and his bunny have been married for twenty years and he has all the joys and problems of being a father. Today is one of those times.


Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters, they all belong to Disney.

Cast of characters

Nick – A handsome happy go lucky Fox who happens to be married to our favorite bunny

Judy – A Rabbit who is had become the first of her species to become a police officer who married an ex-street hustling Fox

Nicholas, Jr. – Nick and Judy's oldest 16 year old son and is in love with Judith (Gazelle (Maria) and Ben's daughter)

Maria – Nick and Judy's 15 year old daughter named after Judy's best friend Gazelle

Albert – Nick and Judy's 6 year old son named after Nick's father

Stuart – Nick and Judy's 3 year old son named after Judy's father

Gazelle (Maria) – Famous singer, Judy's college roommate, and best friend

Ben – Gazelle's (Maria) husband, police officer, and not longer the donut loving cop

Judith – Gazelle (Maria) and Ben's daughter named after Judy Hopps and in love with Nicholas, Jr.

Mike – Maria's (Nick and Judy's daughter) crush

Strolling Through the Park

Nick couldn't believe they had their twentieth wedding anniversary just a few days ago. It was Saturday morning and his bunny was making blueberry pancakes! He smelled them as soon as he got out of the shower. He quickly dried his fur, dressed, and hurried down the stairs. He made it to the table just as the first stack hit the serving plate. He stuck his fork in and took three.

"Dad!" Maria said in a slightly winey voice. "Don't take them all!"

He rolled his eyes. His daughter was such a drama queen. You think he actually had taken them all. There were still four still left. Judy would have more ready in only a few minutes. He looked into her green eyes and put one on her plate. She looked more like her mother with the long ears, short fluffy tail, and short tan fur, but she did inherit his long muzzle and a predator's teeth to go with it. Maria sighed and he rolled his eyes again. She was their second born and named after his bunny's old college roommate who had taken the stage name Gazelle.

Gazelle had gone on to become the more popular singer and entertainer of all time. She was still going strong! They saw her and her husband quite frequently. Who would have thought she would've married Ben Clawhauser of all animals! The year after they'd solved the missing mammal case his bunny finally got Ben to kick the donut habit and excised with them daily. With a cheetah's metabolism and the smaller calorie intake the pounds just melted away. Then his bunny had the bright idea to invite the two of them to dinner. The second they'd met it was love at first sight and two months later they were married!

Nick took his first bite and sighed. Damn her pancakes were good! He looked at his two youngest. They were both male and both looked like parents – one a Rabbit and the other a Fox – with one exception. The older one Albert, named after his father, looked like a Rabbit, but with his red fur, but with a longer muzzle. The other Stuart, named after Judy's father, looked like a Fox, but with grey fur with a shorter muzzle. Genetics had dealt those two kits an interesting hand, he thought.

They were currently trying unsuccessfully to get pancake from the pile. He speared two and plopped one pancake on each of their plates. Then the plopped a dollop of butter on each, spread it around, and poured on some maple syrup. They dug in and soon their faces were sticky. He chuckled and then heard his bunny's rapidly tapping the floor. He smiled up at her and his bunny made as if to wack him with her ladle. He ducked and chuckled again. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the stove.

The kits finished and he cleaned them up. Then he put another pancake on each plate and fixed them.

"Don't try to cram the whole in your mouth!" he said looking stern and their eyes got big. "Now you two eat them one piece at a time. OK?" They both nodded their eyes still big. "Or next time your mother might have to clean you up."

His eyebrows went up, cocked his head, and gave them the look. From then on they cut a small piece and carefully ate it. He felt his bunny's eyes on him and heard a little growl. He looked at her and winked. She made a face and then went back to flipping pancakes. Then he heard clicking. It was Nicholas, Jr. on his smart phone again. How he could eat with one hand and look and type on his smart phone with the other Nick would never know. His namesake was sixteen years old going on twenty two. To Nick he looked like he did at that age except for the shorter muzzle. He also acted like Nick did at that age too and there was a large part of the problem.

He thumped his forehead. Now he sounded like Albert, his own father! How did that happen? He'd turned 54 this year. God! Where did the time go, he thought. He sighed and returned to his pancakes and chewed unable to solve the problems of the world. Then his bunny put the last stack on the table and sat next to him. He looked over to her and green eyes met purple ones. He leaned over and kissed his bunny. He heard the younger kits giggle and the older two sigh. Then those twenty years disappeared and the kiss deepened.

"They're at it again," Nicholas said and huffed.

"At their age," Maria said.

Nick chuckled first and then they both burst out laughing.

* * *

The kitchen was soon cleaned up with all of them helping – a few reluctantly, but regardless it got done. Today they planned to spend the day at the park. They always felt it was important to do things as a family and the carnival was there this weekend too. Since that park was within walking distance of their house it made things a lot simpler. After a bit of grumbling they made it to the park in fifteen minutes.

Stuart rode on his father's shoulders and Albert held his mother's hand and walk a bit ahead excited to see the rides. The kit chattered a mile a minute and pointed at the Ferris wheel. The other two walked a bit behind seemingly only interested in their smart phones.

"Judy, Nick!"

They looked up and saw a Gazelle and Cheetah waiting for them. Then a third figure soon joined them. She had spotted fur like her father and horns like her mother. She'd inherited her mother's beauty and father's strength.

"Nicholas," Judith said and smart phone in his son's hand magically disappeared.

He looked up and smiled. Nick had seen that same smile in the mirror every time he thought of his bunny.

"Hi Judith," he said and glanced away to hide the beginnings of a blush. "How's it goin'?"

Judith stepped closer and touched his arm. Nicholas looked up and his blush blossomed.

"Good now," she said and left the rest for his imagination.

Nick looked at the Gazelle and winked. She snorted and Ben chuckled.

"Uh Judith," he said and glance at her, "you want to …"

"Sure," she said and took his hand.

They soon disappear into the crowd and heard his daughter click her tongue. He looked over as she stared after the young lovers. She had a sad expression on her face and then noticed him looking. Her face lost all expression just as he'd seen his bunny's do in the past. He winced inwardly at that memory. Apparently someone else noticed too.

"Stuart, come to your Aunt Maria," she said and held out her arms.

The kit squealed and held out his arms. Nick handed him over and he hugged the Gazelle. Maria looked at Nick and then at her namesake. Then she looked at her husband.

"Judy, let's go have some fun," Ben said and smiled.

Her ears came up and she smiled at her old friend.

"What would your wife say?"

"We'll just take her along too!"

"That'll be interesting."

Ben actually blushed. Judy took his arm and winked at her best friend. Maria rolled her eyes and followed. They too soon disappeared in the crowd and Maria and her father were left alone.

"I know what you're doing!" Maria exclaimed.

"And just what would that be?"

"Spend the day with your daughter because no one else wants to be with her."

Nick counted to ten before he spoke.

"I want to be with you because I love you."

"You're the only male in the world who will ever say that!"

He touched her arm and she flinched.

"Come with me," he said and then took her hand, "I'd like show you something."

Reluctantly she followed and he led her into a path he remembered well. Then they walked off the path and toward an old Oak tree. Nick stopped and put a hand on it.

"So why'd you bring me here?"

"This is the place I told you mother that I loved her and we had our first kiss."

"So what."

Nick almost said something he would have regretted for the rest of his life.

"Back then … Now days you see mixed species couples all the time, but back then your mother and I were the first. Well at least first ones to be out in public."

She just looked at her father and shrugged.

"Just tell me whatever you want."

Nick sighed.

"Don't you think I know how you feel?"

"Nobody wants me damn it!"

"And I was in love with you mother and I didn't know if she wanted me."

"But …"

"I was a Fox and she was a Rabbit!" Nick said raising his voice. "I wasn't sure what she would say and you have the same problem."

"How?"

"Someone told me."

"Judith?"

"She and Nicholas both came to me and told me about your friend," he said. He'd noticed that she'd been moody lately. Well a bit more moody than usual. "He's a Rabbit."

"Yes," she said in a quiet voice.

"Have you talked to him?"

"Yes, but not about … liking him."

"Why not?"

"Look at me!" she shouted. "I'm not a Rabbit or a Fox!"

"If he likes you it won't make any difference."

"If he doesn't?"

"Sometimes you just have to take a chance."

Now she threw herself in her father's arm and began to cry. Nick like all males from time in memorial were uncomfortable in such a situation. He stoked her back trying to consoling his daughter. Eventually the tears ending and she pulled back. Beautiful green eyes like his looked at him and a small smile formed on her muzzle. Nick gently took her face in hands and kissed her cheek. Her ears turned pink and he smiled.

"Come on let's go find the others and have some fun," Nick said and took her hand.

"I'm sorry about before."

"Never mind you were just upset," he said and smiled.

He took her hand and led her back to the carnival. They searched to a time and finally saw Nicholas and Judith. Then Maria stopped dead and he looked back. Her eyes were wide and he followed her gaze to a tall buck that had just joined the young lovers.

"Someone you know?" Nick asked.

"That's Mike," she said hesitantly.

Just then the young buck looked their way and smiled. Then he started their way and they met him halfway.

"Chief Wilde," Mike said and for a moment Nick thought the buck might salute him. "I'm Mike Hase. Sir, I go to school with Maria."

"Good to meet you son," he said and shook the buck's hand. "So are you enjoying yourself today?"

"Yes sir."

Nicholas and Judith joined them.

"Mike, Maria, we're going on the Ferris Wheel," Judith said and took Maria's hand, "Why don't you two come with us?"

The four teenagers started away and Judith looked over her shoulder a winked. Nick smiled and when to find his bunny.

* * *

They made it home for supper and Nick invited their best friends to stay. After supper they sat in the living room and caught up on recent events. The two younger kits were asleep in their room worn out by the day's activities. Eventually it grew dark and after an hour or so they heard footsteps on the porch. The door opened a moment later and teenagers entered laughing and cutting up.

"So did you all have fun," Nick asked noticing how close the young buck stood next to his daughter.

"Yes sir," Mike said.

"How about you guys?" Judith asked.

"We had fun too," Nick said and grinned at his bunny. "Only slower."

They all had a good laugh.

"Hey, Mike I have a new app," Nicholas said.

They ran up the stairs and his daughter hung back a moment. Her eye twinkled and she smiled at her father. Then she turned a followed the others. The other three animals looked at him.

"So what happened?" his bunny asked.

"Oh, I just had a heart to heart with my daughter."

"About?"

"Love and life."

His bunny leaned over and kissed her Fox. Then as always the kiss deepened and they forget about everything else.


End file.
